Saudi Arabia Urges Rapid UAE Troop Withdrawal from Yemen as Gulf Rift Deepens
Riyadh voices hope that Abu Dhabi’s forces will exit Yemen within 24 hours after diplomatic and military tensions escalate sharply
Saudi Arabia has expressed its expectation that the United Arab Emirates will withdraw its remaining military forces from Yemen within 24 hours, following a deadline set by Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council amid a worsening Gulf dispute.
The appeal was made as part of a broader effort by Riyadh to contain an intensifying crisis that has fractured the once-unified Saudi-UAE alliance in Yemen’s protracted conflict.
In a cabinet meeting chaired by King Salman, Saudi officials welcomed the 24-hour ultimatum for a UAE withdrawal and said such a move would help ease tensions and prevent further escalation in Yemen.
Riyadh also expressed regret that its efforts to pursue de-escalation had been met with what it described as “unjustified escalation” that undermined the coalition’s original mission to restore security and stability across the war-torn country.
The Saudi ministry stressed the importance of Gulf Cooperation Council solidarity and pledged to take all necessary measures to protect its national security if threats persisted.
The call for a swift UAE troop pullout follows a dramatic escalation earlier this week, including a Saudi-led coalition airstrike on the strategic port city of Mukalla.
Saudi authorities said the strikes targeted weapons and armoured vehicles offloaded from vessels linked to Emirati interests, alleging shipments intended for separatist forces.
The United Arab Emirates rejected accusations that it had supplied weapons to any group and clarified that the materiel in question was destined for its own forces.
In response to the heightened tensions, Yemen’s internationally recognised government cancelled its joint defence agreement with the UAE, declared a 90-day state of emergency and imposed a temporary embargo on entry points to the country.
The broader crisis stems from growing divergences within the anti-Houthi coalition, particularly between Saudi Arabia’s support for Yemen’s recognised government and the UAE’s alignment with the Southern Transitional Council, a separatist group that has seized control of key eastern provinces.
Analysts say the competing agendas have eroded cooperation and heightened the risk of direct confrontation, complicating any prospect for cohesive peace negotiations.
As regional tensions mount, Riyadh’s call for an immediate withdrawal highlights deepening fissures between Gulf powers who once stood shoulder to shoulder in their Yemen campaign.
The appeal was made as part of a broader effort by Riyadh to contain an intensifying crisis that has fractured the once-unified Saudi-UAE alliance in Yemen’s protracted conflict.
In a cabinet meeting chaired by King Salman, Saudi officials welcomed the 24-hour ultimatum for a UAE withdrawal and said such a move would help ease tensions and prevent further escalation in Yemen.
Riyadh also expressed regret that its efforts to pursue de-escalation had been met with what it described as “unjustified escalation” that undermined the coalition’s original mission to restore security and stability across the war-torn country.
The Saudi ministry stressed the importance of Gulf Cooperation Council solidarity and pledged to take all necessary measures to protect its national security if threats persisted.
The call for a swift UAE troop pullout follows a dramatic escalation earlier this week, including a Saudi-led coalition airstrike on the strategic port city of Mukalla.
Saudi authorities said the strikes targeted weapons and armoured vehicles offloaded from vessels linked to Emirati interests, alleging shipments intended for separatist forces.
The United Arab Emirates rejected accusations that it had supplied weapons to any group and clarified that the materiel in question was destined for its own forces.
In response to the heightened tensions, Yemen’s internationally recognised government cancelled its joint defence agreement with the UAE, declared a 90-day state of emergency and imposed a temporary embargo on entry points to the country.
The broader crisis stems from growing divergences within the anti-Houthi coalition, particularly between Saudi Arabia’s support for Yemen’s recognised government and the UAE’s alignment with the Southern Transitional Council, a separatist group that has seized control of key eastern provinces.
Analysts say the competing agendas have eroded cooperation and heightened the risk of direct confrontation, complicating any prospect for cohesive peace negotiations.
As regional tensions mount, Riyadh’s call for an immediate withdrawal highlights deepening fissures between Gulf powers who once stood shoulder to shoulder in their Yemen campaign.